Bharathidasan University has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with ZIGMA Global Environ Solutions for carrying out a joint project costing ₹8.05 lakh on ‘Microalgae-based bioremediation of municipal solid waste leachate.’
L. Ganesan, Registrar in charge, and K.P. Mutharasu, Director, Zigma, signed the MoU, entailing remediation of municipal solid waste leachate using extremophilic microalgae, in the presence of Vice-Chancellor M. Selvam. The Zigma released ₹7.24 lakh to the University, after deducting 10% towards Tax Deduction at Source to carry out the project.
Started in 2015 to solve the problem of legacy waste management, Zigma designed India’s first integrated landfill mining facility. Its services were subsequently contracted by the municipalities in Tamil Nadu and other States, enabling reclamation of several hundred acres of land and restoring them back to the urban and local bodies.
The company received Excellence award in managing municipal solid waste from the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) during 2020, a press release issued by the Bharathidasan University said.
In joining hands with the industry partner, Zigma, Bharathidasan University brings to its fold a technology partner in taking a proven ‘lab-to-land’ technology in handling the problem of leachate of landfills of municipal wastes, a haunting task for municipal bodies, both small and big ones, the Vice-Chancellor said.
"The bioremediation method is the need of the hour, said N. Thajuddin, an eminent Professor in Bio-science arena, and his colleague D. Dhanasekaran, in the Department of Microbiology. This challenging project uses extremophilic microalgae to reclaim municipal solid waste leachate which would otherwise seep down deep below spoiling soil and groundwater, quite irreparably.